Reloader762
Active Member
Those look great, looks like you found a way that works well for you.
Out of curiosity, how long do you shake yours for? It looks like yours are very evenly, but thinly coated. I may not be shaking mine long enough..... you're also using a lot more BB's than I've been using... I just need to experiment more....A couple pics of some of my bullets in the container using the shake and bake method before I pluck them out to be placed on the baking sheet.
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Hmmm... when I shake for around a minute, mine seem to have too thick a coat on them.... I have recently started bouncing them around on a screen to knock off all the "extra" powder, so that might be a part of it..... maybe the amount of beads you are using is helping knock off the excess, as well....I usually shake for about 30 to 45 seconds.
Yes.... I think I read that somewhere.... might have been your comments previously...... nobody seems to mention that for beginners. I was "told" just put them in the container and shake the heck out of them.... that worked, but usually only moderately well. The "centrifuge" style seems to generate a lot of static..I "shake" them so they are riding on the inside walls like a centrifuge spins stuff.
That's a bunch of blue goodness in those 375's... performance was my only concern... I'm not sure how "even" a coat is needed to perform as intended. I did the remaining 20 or so of the Lee 45's in Smoke's Signal Blue last night. They have the same "mottled" look, but when looking at the reflection in the surface, they seem to be fully coated.... I tumbled these in the rock tumbler, double bagged, for 15 minutes this time...Its only best eye-site and closest scrutiny to reveal imperfections. Bottom like ONLY problems with this is THAT PERSONS OCD. NOT preformance issues it may cause.
I tried the BBs. Tossed them out. I didn't see where they did anything except pick up the paint..I don't use bb's, but I live in a rather dry, sometimes, climate. I do not try to powder coat until the relative humidity drops below 50%. I get excellent coverage with Smokes powders that I've kept in a Kirkland nut jar with lid for a couple of years now.
They look good to me.The powder can go on with a few marks or "voids" where the powder didnt seem to stick, and still be fine. As the powder will flow over the bullet to some degree. It's not gonna flow like water. It's not gonna move very far but small little voids of color will generally be encapsulated as the powder flows. Here's some 375s I did yesterday if you zoom in close, you can see the way the powder sticks to the bullet and the little bitty voids that are there. And then here's a finished bullet where you won't see outright voids only thinner spots. And that's what you're going to see pretty much across the board. Some powders are a little better. Some powders are a little worse.
Its only best eye-site and closest scrutiny to reveal imperfections. Bottom like ONLY problems with this is THAT PERSONS OCD. NOT preformance issues it may cause.
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Thats the same MP/160 I have. Tinman has the other style. This one shoots better for me.
I can make a lot more. A few hours casting on a Saturday morning, PC and size in the evening, and I'm resupplied. Got three new powders today from the Powder Coat Store to try out and see how they do, Satin Bronze, Sterling Copper and Sterling Charcoal Gunmetal. Too bad I don't have any bullets to coat to see what they look like, but I'll take care of that tomorrow.Sure are pretty bullets. Be a shame to shoot them up..
Those look borderline perfect... very nice. You use the S&B method?
that's what they are supposed to do.I didn't see where they did anything except pick up the paint..